Get your green thumbs out | Mick McGlone

Not that we are a bit snobby in South-Central Albury – although we have every right to be - it’s just that we had never seen it before.

I put the garbage bins out the other night and they had not been picked up the next morning.

“Have a go at this”, The Lioness announced.

“There’s someone going through our yellow bins.”

And sure enough, there was.

It didn’t take long to work out she was walking the streets, collecting cans and bottles to recycle and make a bit of cash.

Which got us thinking we should do the same, although we had never looked into it.

Although all we could offer would be empty stubby and wine bottles, which might prove embarrassing at the collection centre; that is if they even accept them at all.

Apart from all that, you have to give the Albury City Council a pat on the back for their efforts to reduce landfill.

The Waste Management Centre (we used to call it a tip) is a delight to behold; although I don’t think I am ready to take the barbie and deck chairs out there and share my tucker with the “Tip chooks”.

The place is well laid out and is so much better to use than the old nightmare, with the traffic jams that went with it

And it comes with a recycle centre that also has a retail outlet for which you don’t have an entrance fee.

I know there has been a lot of criticism of the three-bin system.

And for people with medical waste, such as colostomy bags, it is a nightmare that the red bins are only collected once a fortnight and something needs to be done in addressing this (if it hasn’t already been done).

But once you get used to the system it is really quite handy.

A few years back The Lioness went to a seminar, run by the ACC.

She came out with a compost bin and one of those small, plastic containers and a supply of compost bags, pretty much like those supplied to every household in Albury (except the compost bin).

We have always used the compost bin for our household scraps and it’s far from full.

But when it is finally full the compost will go onto the veggie garden.

Of course, there were some rules that went with it. No meat, egg shells, citrus fruit, prawn shells or animal droppings.

Now, these problems have been solved by the green bin, which is collected once a week.

I don’t know if all of this will quell the cynicism of the anti-global climate change advocates, especially if they don’t believe the actions of the ACC will reduce greenhouse emissions.

But it has to be better than nothing. Especially if it stops our waterways from being clogged up with plastic bags and other assorted rubbish.

Frankly, I don’t see what the problem is, especially when it comes to composting.

For those who like fishing, you have a supply of worms which will never run out.

Growing pristine lawns is a massive challenge which can take a year to get right; it is hardly the preserve of old people.

The same goes for veggies.

Preparing your soil and getting ready to plant the right vegetable at the right time is something that takes time to learn.